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"US economy is like a ruthless mafia ripping-off the American public. The US is being looted.
"US economy is no longer capitalism, it’s oligarchies and fascism."
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"The very thought of you … the mere idea of you" —from the song "The Very Thought of You" by Ray Noble
Can the mere thought of your loved one reduce your pain?
Yes, according to a new study by UCLA psychologists that underscores the importance of social relationships and staying socially connected.
The study, which asked whether simply looking at a photograph of your significant other can reduce pain, involved 25 women, mostly UCLA students, who had boyfriends with whom they had been in a good relationship for more than six months.
The women received moderately painful heat stimuli to their forearms while they went through a number of different conditions. In one set of conditions, they viewed photographs of their boyfriend, a stranger and a chair.
"When the women were just looking at pictures of their partner, they actually reported less pain to the heat stimuli than when they were looking at pictures of an object or pictures of a stranger," said study co-author Naomi Eisenberger, assistant professor of psychology and director of UCLA's Social and Affective Neuroscience Laboratory. "Thus, the mere reminder of one's partner through a simple photograph was capable of reducing pain."
"This changes our notion of how social support influences people," she added. "Typically, we think that in order for social support to make us feel good, it has to be the kind of support that is very responsive to our emotional needs. Here, however, we are seeing that just a photo of one's significant other can have the same effect."
In another set of conditions, each woman held the hand of her boyfriend, the hand of a male stranger and a squeeze ball. The study found that when women were holding their boyfriends' hands, they reported less physical pain than when they were holding a stranger's hand or a ball while receiving the same amount of heat stimulation.
"This study demonstrates how much of an impact our social ties can have on our experience and fits with other work emphasizing the importance of social support for physical and mental health," Eisenberger said.
One practical piece of advice the authors give is that the next time you are going through a stressful or painful experience, if you cannot bring a loved one with you, a photo may do.
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Couples who bring thoughtful words to a fight release lower amounts of stress-related proteins, suggesting that rational communication between partners can ease the impact of marital conflict on the immune system.
"Previous research has shown that couples who are hostile to each other show health impairments and are at greater risk of disease," said Jennifer Graham, assistant professor of biobehavioral health, Penn State. "We wanted to know if couples who use thoughtfulness and reasoning in the midst of a fight incur potential health benefits."
Individuals in a stressful situation -- as in a troubled relationship -- typically have elevated levels of chemicals known as cytokines. These proteins are produced by cells in the immune system and help the body mount an immune response during infection. However, abnormally high levels of these proteins are linked to illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, arthritis and some cancers.
"Typically, if you bring people to a lab and put them under stress, either by engaging them in a conflict or giving them a public speaking task, you can see an increase in proinflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6 (Il-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)," explained Graham.
Using data collected by Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, distinguished university professor, S. Robert Davis Chair of Medicine and professor of psychiatry and psychology, Ohio State University College of Medicine; and Ronald Glaser, director, Institute for Behavioral Medicine Research, Kathryn & Gilbert Mitchell Chair in Medicine and professor of molecular virology, immunology and medical genetics, the researchers looked at levels of Il-6 and TNF-alpha in 42 married heterosexual couples both before and after marital discussion tasks.
"We specifically looked at words that are linked with cognitive processing in other research and which have been predictive of health in studies where people express emotion about stressful events," explained Graham. "These are words like -- think, because, reason, why -- that suggest people are either making sense of the conflict or at least thinking about it in a deep way."
For the study, the 42 couples made two separate overnight visits over two weeks. "We found that, controlling for depressed mood, individuals who showed more evidence of cognitive discussion during their fights showed smaller increases in both Il-6 and TNF-alpha cytokines over a 24-hour period," said Graham, whose findings appear in the current issue of Health Psychology.
During their first visit, couples had a neutral, fairly supportive discussion with their spouse. But during the second visit, couples focused on the topic of greatest contention between them.
"An interviewer figured out ahead of time what made the man and woman most upset in terms of their relationship and we gave each person a turn to talk about that issue," said Graham.
Researchers measured the levels of cytokines before and after the two visits and used linguistic software to determine the percentage of certain types of words from a transcript of the conversation.
The researchers' results suggest that people who used more cognitive words during the fight showed a smaller increase in the Il-6 and TNF-alpha. Cognitive words used during the neutral discussion had no effect on the cytokines.
When they averaged the couples' cognitive words during the fight, they found a low average translated into a steeper increase in the husbands' Il-6 over time. There were no effects on the TNF-alpha. However, neither couple's nor spouse's cognitive word use predicted changes in wives' Il-6, or TNF-alpha levels for either wives or husbands.
Graham speculates that women may be more adept at communication and perhaps their cognitive word use had a bigger impact on their husbands. Wives were also more likely than husbands to use cognitive words.
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What makes Lou Dobbs so special is his independence and fearlessness. Dobbs clearly set his own agenda. He had no interest in the "conventional wisdom" of his industry. Dobbs thinks like a real American newsman – a throwback to an age when journalists actually believed they were watchdogs of government and asked tough questions in the interests of the people.| Reactions: |



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Israeli researchers have developed a portable device that causes excruciating sensations of burning and can be built for just $250,000, raising fears that even the world's poorest, most oppressive governments will now be able to use advanced non-lethal weapons on their civilian populations.
The Man-Portable Active Denial System, developed by researchers at the College of Judea and Samaria, can beam a microwave ray that causes skin surface to heat up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, causing the nerve cells in the skin to think they're on fire.
In tests of a similar project by the US military, "nobody [was] able to stay in the beam for more than a few seconds," writes David Hambling at Wired.com.
Reports of the US military developing a burn ray have been around for some time, but the US's Active Denial System is a nine-ton machine that has not yet come out of testing, for technical and political reasons, Hambling reports.....MORE
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The only UFO encounter ever to have a full police forensic crime scene investigation.
IT IS an X-File that remains unsolved and still fascinates UFO enthusiasts all over the world.
This week saw the anniversary of one the planet’s most intriguing UFO mysteries – that happened right here in West Lothian.
He didn’t see little green men exactly, but 30 years ago forester Bob Taylor had a remarkable encounter with a UFO at Dechmont Law in Livingston.
Experts say it is the only one ever to have left tangible and recorded evidence, has been verified by the authorities and was the subject of a full police investigation.
To mark the event, West Lothian film company Waterborn TV have recorded a fascinating new documentary, The West Lothian Question, which includes an interview with the late Mr Taylor, which can be seen on YouTube.
The incident took place on November 9, 1979 in broad daylight when Mr Taylor came across a large object in a clearing.
Not only did he see the UFO but also two spherical ‘robots’ dropped from the object and grasped him, pulling him over.
Both police and ufologists say this encounter is unique because it appeared to leave evidence to support the story with strange marks in the clearing where the incident took place and inexplicable damage to Mr Taylor’s trousers, long johns and skin.
Realising that time was passing and those concerned were getting older, Waterborn Productions founders Duncan McKay and John Forsyth, recorded their documentary in a bid to get to the bottom of the inexplicable event.
Mr Taylor has since passed away and the documentary has been released on YouTube this week to mark the 30th anniversary of the sighting.....MORE
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People love markers. They love Birthdays, New Years, the New Millennium, and 2012. They hope that these dates will bring the change they desire. In actuality, it is only by raising our consciousness that we can achieve a more loving, peaceful, and healthy world.
The dates will come and go but we can change our consciousness right now.
The 5 steps listed below are very helpful in raising our consciousness and creating a "World Transformed."
Grant
Excerpted from Century City News, "2012 5 Steps to a World Transformed"
1. Envision a new way of being.
Creating a world that works for all life on Planet Earth begins with envisioning what that world might look like. Imagine it, write it down, and share your vision through conversations or a blog. Listen to other’s visions and find what you hold in common. Set an intention to work with others to bring about this vision. Join or create an organization that carries forward your vision.
2. Understand that everything is connected.
The transformational consciousness shift will happen when people recognize that everything in the universe is connected. Science and inner wisdom teach us this basic truth. Each form of life is a unique expression of an interconnected whole and can influence the whole. This understanding is empowering but carries with it the responsibility to contribute in positive ways in service to the whole.
3. Choose an Earth-friendly lifestyle.
If you must move because of Earth-changes or lack of basic resources such as food, water and transportation, plan ahead where you would go, how you would get there, and what you would take with you.
n the event of disrupted communication systems and loss of power as a result of predicted solar flares, create a back-up system or learn to live off the grid.
Learn to live simply and sustainably on the Earth. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Calculate your carbon footprint and your use of natural resources and limit your consumption so that all may have enough and Earth can heal from human misuse and overuse of resources
4. Thrive in a new, sustainable economy
If the global economy continues its decline, create a new kind of economy in your community that is fair for everyone, using available resources. Create a local system of bartering goods and services and possibly a local currency. Support local micro-businesses and set up means of trade with neighboring communities. Grow food in community gardens, whether you live in the city, the suburbs, or a rural area.
5. Create community and an action plan.
In the event of severe Earth-changes and economic collapse, you will need a community for mutual support. Start to build that now with family, friends, and neighbors. Have a disaster preparedness plan for your community and companion animals. Establish basic food and water sources, housing, health care, and education needs and how they will be provided. Ensure that you have all the skill sets and experience you need in your community.
No matter what scenario lies ahead for 2012, you will be prepared if you take these five steps. There’s no need to fear the future, despite all the dire predictions, if you have set a vision and taken steps to ensure that life on Planet Earth will thrive beyond 2012.
Dr. Laura Dunham is the author of “Spiritual Wisdom for Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond” (Langdon Street Press). Visit her online at www.healingandwisdom.com and www.2012iscoming.com.
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This is interesting. But it seems to me that if you have a physical body it will die. Or at least that is what I have noticed in 100% of my observations.
If there is any ascension it will likely occur after death. But books, religion, and spirituality often depend on the fantastic to sell.
It will be interesting to see if the good professor ever tastes death. My hunch is that he will die like the rest of us.
But there is likely some valuable information in the book and that is why I post the article.
Still, I think our focus should not be in ascending to some new earth or heaven here after but on making our world into a livable, sustainable, beautiful, and healthy planet now.
Grant
OZARK, Mo., Nov. 12, 2009 — In his new nonfiction book, “You Can Avoid Physical Death: Physical Body Ascension to the New Earth” (published by iUniverse), Dr. Robert E. Pettit meticulously outlines the spiritual disciplines and mental responsibilities that are needed to ascend to a developing higher frequency planet (”New Earth”) and thus avoid physical death at the hands of a collapsing damaged low frequency planet Earth.
Drawing upon his 33 years of University research and 18 years of subtle energy (spiritual) manipulations, Dr. Pettit eloquently discusses the relationships between the sciences and spirituality in a way that interested readers can access and apply to their lives before the end of the current age, around 2012 and beyond.
Moreover, Dr. Pettit quotes many references to indicate that Earth will soon be unable to support human life. During these changing times humans will be faced with the following choice: either to die or ascend to a parallel “New Earth.” Based upon the energy principles outlined by Albert Einstein, Dr. Pettit discusses similar principles about the direction of human evolution and procedures for developing your new high frequency energy bodies. Once those frequencies are obtained, your new physical forms can live for thousands of years. Dr. Pettit explains how one might achieve this incredible existence by learning and practicing the following principles:
Not since American transcendentalist Henry Thoreau published his renowned “Walden” has a book been so integral to the future of human survival and spirituality. Discover the multi-dimensional potential of your consciousness and prepare for a spiritual awakening beyond your imagination. In the process learn how you can enjoy a new world (”New Earth”) void of suffering, pollution, crime, and war in this complete ascension guide.
Dr. Pettit, an eighty-one year young retired professor, has been teaching for over 60 years. He taught Sunday school classes, High School sciences, and electronic guidance systems for the U.S. Air Force. He was a University of Missouri Instructor for seven years, a Professor at Texas A&M University for 26 years and Chairman of the Board for the Subtle Energy Research Corporation (researching energy manipulations) for eight years.
“You Can Avoid Physical Death”
Available from: http://www.iUniverse.com, http://www.bn.com, and http://www.amazon.com.
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He got it right last time.
Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, was one of eight senators who stood up to oppose the repeal of the Glass-Steagall act in 1999. That repeal, which was signed into law by President Clinton exactly 10 years ago today, broke down the barriers between commercial banking and investment banking, and led to the growth of behemoth financial firms that were able to take enormous risks with impunity, because they were "too big to fail."
"I think we will in 10 years' time look back and say we should not have done this," Dorgan said back then. The video of his speech has become something of a cult favorite for wonks -- ten years, a $700 billion bailout and a major financial crisis later.....MORE| Reactions: |
